# Tea and Cigars



## Stubby (Dec 6, 2010)

Hot tea is not something often discussed in conjunction with cigar smoking. Tea and cigars are two of my favorite things in life, and the other day I did a little experiment to see how they go together.

My collection of loose tea probably rivals some people's collection of pipe tobacco. A whole shelf of my book shelf is nothing but frosted glass jars of various teas.

The other day I brewed a nice spicy cup of Masala Chai mixed with cream, a bit of turbinado sugar, and honey.

I lit up an Oliva Serie V because i was trying to pair the pepper, chocolate, and woody taste with the spice and chocolate of the tea.

Let me tell you, this had to be the best paired beverage I ever had with a cigar. The two complimented each other like they were made to be together. The lingering aroma / taste of the tea and cream made the already smooth cigar even smoother.

Another brilliant pairing that I have found is a tea called Lapsang Souchong. The tea is dried / cold smoked over pine fire. The tea smells and tastes exactly like a camp fire. (well what i assume a camp fire tastes like. I've never ate a burning pine log).

I paired the Lapsang Souchong with a Nub Habano since I've always got a lot of woody flavor from the cigar. As I got into the first third of the cigar I began sipping on on the tea. I was as shocked as I was with the Oliva V and Chai combo. It was another instance when the two simply seemed to be made for each other.

Putting tea and cigars together has brought relaxation and flavor experience to a whole new level. I don't even want to get up out of the chair at my B&M when I'm finished.

I hope I don't ice up a new slippery slope for anybody with these tea suggestions. :cf My tea collection is as out of hand as my cigars.

Just for reference, I get all my tea from Adagio Teas It is always fresh and the price is right!


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## fivespdcat (Nov 16, 2010)

hmmm.... Very interesting. I've been known to enjoy a cup of tea everyone once in a while and this sounds like a great idea!


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## BKDW (Nov 7, 2009)

Interesting indeed.


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## Stubby (Dec 6, 2010)

I like to experiment a lot. This was one of the best discoveries that I've made. I'm sure its been done before, but i've never seen it mentioned. Scotch and coffee get all the fame.


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## Fury556 (Oct 10, 2010)

I've tried different types of alcohol with different cigars and nothing has ever complimented the cigar I was smoking. The same can be said for soda and juice. But tea, it really goes well with just about any cigar. I'm not into the flavored teas, I just like a really strong Irish or English breakfast tea with some sugar/honey, mostly iced but sometimes hot.


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## Athion (Jul 17, 2010)

Unfortunately Im pretty much a heathen *******, so the only thing I put in my tea is sugar... and ICE  LOL  

I do enjoy tea with a cigar though, but it cant be really strong tea.

(My aunt is from England and is the one that coined the Heathen ******* comment, watching me drink tea  ).


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## pomorider (Nov 14, 2009)

Jasmin tea goes well with cigar.


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## deionychus (Aug 18, 2010)

Oolong is also a decent pair with some cigars (especially ones that lean on the sweeter side). I'm a loose leaf tea lover as well, my biggest problem these days is keeping it warm in the chilly CO nights. I need to build a shelf on the edge of the fire pit!


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## szyzk (Nov 27, 2010)

Stubby said:


> Just for reference, I get all my tea from Adagio Teas It is always fresh and the price is right!


As with anything, you pay for good quality tea. Don't blame me if you spend your next paycheck at http://www.teavana.com/


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## Stubby (Dec 6, 2010)

szyzk said:


> As with anything, you pay for good quality tea. Don't blame me if you spend your next paycheck at http://www.teavana.com/


I think teavana is a bit overpriced for what you get. Their specialty flavor stuff is good, but their traditional teas are always just so-so to me. The Irish Breakfast tea they carry tastes nothing like any one I had ever tried.

But anyways, back to cigar talk!


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## szyzk (Nov 27, 2010)

Stubby said:


> I think teavana is a bit overpriced for what you get. Their specialty flavor stuff is good, but their traditional teas are always just so-so to me. The Irish Breakfast tea they carry tastes nothing like any one I had ever tried.
> 
> But anyways, back to cigar talk!


Some of their offers are definitely overpriced, but they also have specialty blends that you can't find anywhere else. And a lot of it is very, very good.

Thanks for the head's up about tea/cigar pairing though! I typically stick to beer - every once in a while enjoying a Diet Coke or a rootbeer - but I will be sniffing around my tea cupboard to see what I can mash together with my next cigar. I'm interested to see how floral/asian teas pair with mild-bodied smokes.


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## xmacro (Mar 24, 2010)

A nice green tea goes well with a lot of cigars; try Gyokuro, or Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearls


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## Lazzzzze (Dec 30, 2010)

I usually associate tea with remedies for the cold and sore throat.


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## CHRIS7891011 (Apr 1, 2007)

Last summer I drank iced earl gray tea with almost every cigar I smoked. Great pairing with a lot of flavors. Love this thread!


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## emk (May 4, 2009)

Me too!
I often drink hot tea while smoking. Mostly a black tea w/milk (common name brands or higher quality loose teas: darjeeling, etc.), but often lapsang souchong or earl grey; sometimes drink plain green tea.
Coffee is okay for me, but I prefer tea. 
I've been very happy w/Upton Tea Importers who sell on-line but have a well-organized print catalog.


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## Stubby (Dec 6, 2010)

szyzk said:


> Some of their offers are definitely overpriced, but they also have specialty blends that you can't find anywhere else. And a lot of it is very, very good.
> 
> Thanks for the head's up about tea/cigar pairing though! I typically stick to beer - every once in a while enjoying a Diet Coke or a rootbeer - but I will be sniffing around my tea cupboard to see what I can mash together with my next cigar. I'm interested to see how floral/asian teas pair with mild-bodied smokes.


Try natural sugar sodas with cigars rather than stuff with HFCS in them. I've found Mexican Coke, Dr. Pepper Heritage, and Pepsi Throwback really get rid of the burning sensation on the tongue that normally happens to me with HFCS when drinking them with a cigar.


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## rover3013 (Nov 17, 2010)

Just yesterday, i went to get a gyro, Greek resturant, the old guy there gave me a tea to warm me up on a cold day while i waited for my order, some kind of curd tea, the best flavored tea in my life, OMG, i have to find out where he gets it so i can try to pair it with a stogie, it was so goood , and i dont usually like tea, but it was awesome :amen:


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## Stubby (Dec 6, 2010)

If anybody wants a $5 gift card to Adagio tea PM me your name and e-mail address.


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## FiveStar (Jan 7, 2010)

I totally missed this thread!

I've got to agree with you on the Lapsang thang. It's been a favorite of mine for a while now, as I've always enjoyed all things full flavored. My cigars, my pipe baccy, my scotch, all stanky and scare most folks away from across the room.

Lapsang souchong is the same sorta thing. Very smokey, but once you warm up to it, there is a nice woodsiness and sweet malty thing happening too. 

I've also found I like a good cup of tea with my pipes. Especially like a real Earl Grey, with real bergamot orange in the blend. 

Just now getting into Puerh, or however the hell you spell/say it! I'm in the market for a gaiwan to steep this miracle leaf. It's amazing how many infusions you can get out of the tiniest little piece off of a brick. I literally drank all afternoon, 8+ cups off of a hunk the size of a large marble the other day. Pretty jacked by the end of the session, but what an amazing leaf!


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## astripp (Jan 12, 2011)

I've had some cigars (like the PAN) give a flavor a lot like sweetened green tea. It would be an interesting pairing.


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## donovanrichardson (Nov 10, 2010)

Great thread Scott! I've never really considered tea with cigars but now that you say, it sounds really good right about now. I've never drank coffee with a cigar either so I can't vouch for that.

To me, I would think black tea would be better than a green tea. I have two or three tins of tea from China that I brought back with me that I should open up and attempt to brew with a cigar or pipe smoke.

This sounds really good! Can the gift card be used for online purchases as well?!


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## Stubby (Dec 6, 2010)

donovanrichardson said:


> Great thread Scott! I've never really considered tea with cigars but now that you say, it sounds really good right about now. I've never drank coffee with a cigar either so I can't vouch for that.
> 
> To me, I would think black tea would be better than a green tea. I have two or three tins of tea from China that I brought back with me that I should open up and attempt to brew with a cigar or pipe smoke.
> 
> This sounds really good! Can the gift card be used for online purchases as well?!


yah the gift card is for the Adagio online store. Shoot me a PM with your name and Email address and I'll send you a coupon.


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## stewartu (Jul 23, 2010)

Despite giving tea a fair shot, i just cannot seem to enjoy it.


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## Stubby (Dec 6, 2010)

stewartu said:


> Despite giving tea a fair shot, i just cannot seem to enjoy it.


Yah it isn't for everybody. For those that do enjoy it, there are some interesting pairings for cigars.

Masala Chai, Hojicha, Lapsang Sochong, and Gunpowder are probably my best pairings to date.


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## dragonhead08 (Feb 3, 2011)

I never thought about tea, but the masala chai sounds like it might go well with something like a partagas


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## Firedawg (Nov 8, 2010)

A local B&M that I go to is one of those beer, wine, mead making, cigar and pipe tobacco places. I know thats kind of unusual but they also carry specialty coffees and teas. I honestly never got into hot tea ( I love iced tea!). Yet everytime I go in there I want to try it out. I will give it a shot today when I go there since I think it is time to try it. Thanks for pushing me off the cliff! 

I will let you know how things go. I will try to see if they have the 2 you had and maybe some others. Hell I dont even have a tea pot.


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## Stubby (Dec 6, 2010)

Firedawg said:


> A local B&M that I go to is one of those beer, wine, mead making, cigar and pipe tobacco places. I know thats kind of unusual but they also carry specialty coffees and teas. I honestly never got into hot tea ( I love iced tea!). Yet everytime I go in there I want to try it out. I will give it a shot today when I go there since I think it is time to try it. Thanks for pushing me off the cliff!
> 
> I will let you know how things go. I will try to see if they have the 2 you had and maybe some others. Hell I dont even have a tea pot.


hahaha a brand new slippery slope to sled down! 99% of the time I do not use a pot to brew my tea. I use the IngenuiTea. You brew your tea in it, then set it on top of the cup to drain it through. The other 1% of the time I use a cast iron tea pot that has a built in infuser. I have some matching 2 ounce cast iron cups to go with it. I usually only use it when I have guests over that are enthusiastic about tea.

IngenuiTEA Teapot from Adagio Teas

Cast Iron Tea Sets


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## jswaykos (Oct 26, 2010)

I can't stand the taste of tea. I assume, though, that it's an acquired taste, just like coffee. I can't get over the "grass" taste of it. Now, I've never tried much other than what you can buy at any grocery store, but it just doesn't do it for me. Perhaps it's because I don't like "mild" flavored anything? Tea, to me, tastes like flavored water. Whenever I brew coffee it's so dang strong it'll make an unsuspecting drinker's heart race. 

I even think those flavored water drinks are nasty.

But, to each their own!


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## Mr. Slick (Aug 17, 2010)

jswaykos said:


> I even think those flavored water drinks are nasty.But, to each their own!


I never understood why they call it flavored water LOL. The way I look
at it is when you go putting other ingredients in it, it ceses to be water. Instead of flavored water how bout calling it a soft drink or sports drink.-my rant on flavored water


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## Propagator4 (Dec 15, 2010)

So I'm a tea addict. I am very methodical about my tea. I make sure I drink it at least twice a day: a few small cups (6 ounces each) of Twinnings English Breakfast with a fair amount of milk with my breakfast, and a few cups (still 6 ounces each) of Twinnings Earl Grey with a small splash of milk late afternoon, and then whenever else I feel the need.

I've felt for a long time that my cigars would go well with my tea, but haven't experimented with it yet because I rarely smoke cigars anytime except for late at night, and at that point I'm no longer drinking tea. I'll have to add it to my urgent list to try.

As a note, I don't like coffee with cigars. I like my coffee very strong and bitter, and find that it overwhelms my palate for the tastes present in all but the cigars of the fullest body.


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## Ravens (Jan 4, 2011)

If you can get the Kusmi brand teas i can HIGHLY recommend the Prince Vladimir blend with cigars, for me best match to date.

I like smoked teas, but not with cigars or pipe.


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## BillyVoltaire (Jun 23, 2009)

Oh yeah, the IngenuiTEA is good action. I have a big one at home and a little one in my office.

BV



Stubby said:


> hahaha a brand new slippery slope to sled down! 99% of the time I do not use a pot to brew my tea. I use the IngenuiTea. You brew your tea in it, then set it on top of the cup to drain it through. The other 1% of the time I use a cast iron tea pot that has a built in infuser. I have some matching 2 ounce cast iron cups to go with it. I usually only use it when I have guests over that are enthusiastic about tea.
> 
> IngenuiTEA Teapot from Adagio Teas
> 
> Cast Iron Tea Sets


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## Habanolover (Feb 22, 2006)

Lipton Iced tea with plenty of sugar and ice for me! :biggrin:


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## rocketmann82 (Jun 20, 2010)

Iced tea for me most of the time and Earl Grey when I'm drinking it hot. Both go very well with Cigars.


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## jswaykos (Oct 26, 2010)

Habanolover said:


> Lipton Iced tea with plenty of sugar and ice for me! :biggrin:


haha, same here. Though I guess that's as much "tea" as those frozen starbucks drinks are coffee.


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## Arnie (Jan 5, 2009)

Tea and cigars is a most natural pairing. They seem to complement each other. Try a Taboo Twist with Keemun Congou or Malty Assam and you will be in cigar/tea heaven.

If you are going to drink Masala Chai take the time to learn to make it correctly using fresh ginger. PM me for a recipe.

Also, I like Thai Iced Tea in the summer. I use a combo of Pu Erh from my online source and Ti Kwan Yin from the local Asian store. Soooo good.

Try these folks for a nice variety of teas:

Teacup

Great thread!!!!


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## Firedawg (Nov 8, 2010)

Well I did pick up 2 oz of Lapsang Souchang and a 2 teabags of some other stuff (cant remember name) I will give it a try soon and let you know what I think. Its not that expensive really so should be a good thing.


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## sirxlaughs (Nov 18, 2005)

I love me some tea (and cigars, of course). I'm glad to see there are others on the forum that enjoy leaves of other varieties as well. I just wanted to chime in this thread quickly. When I have more time I'll post up some photos and info about my tea collection. 
Also, I've found that ripe/cooked pu-erh tea goes well with cigars. Something about the earthy nature of the tea really does it for me.


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## RGRTim (Jan 7, 2011)

I have a glass of sweet tea within arms reach 24/7 so tea and cigars is pretty much an everyday thing. Even if Im in my smoking room with a cognac/brandy/scotch there is always a glass of tea close at hand.


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## BigBenny (Mar 27, 2010)

I was drinking some hot english breakfast tea with cream and splenda, and I don't know if it was the tea, but the cigar that I smoked with it was awful. I tried it again with a different stick, one that has always smoked well and with ample flavor, and still tasted almost exactly the same as the previous stick, despite being different brands! Tasted like an ashtray


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## sirxlaughs (Nov 18, 2005)

A little time on my lunch break. Found these photos on my facebook. 

This was my first Japanese teapot and fancy green teas.



These are my three teapots. Two are Banko (purple clay) teapots made by Tachi Masaki. The other is a Sado Mumyoi (red clay) pot by Watanabe Tozo.


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## PufPufPass (Feb 24, 2010)

I thought I was the only one with tea and cigar nights. I did especially at night when it was like 50-60 degrees in Florida sitting on my balcony. This tea you can get in supermarkets or Starbucks. it is by Tazo, Green Ginger tea, not Spy Ginger. Put a Cinnamon stick in it and some sugar at it is great with anything medium to strong cigar, like Casa Magna and Oliva V or LFD DL Oscuro, very nice pair..


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## stonez (Jan 20, 2011)

Lipton make a tea called Black Pearl. It's a mild black leaf tea that seems to go well with the maduro's for me. 

The astringency of Earl Gray is a definite winner though with any cigar. Lot's of flavours.


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

I like Green, White, Black Teas with any cigar!:beerchug:


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## sirxlaughs (Nov 18, 2005)

These are some Oolongs I received earlier this week.


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## Rock31 (Sep 30, 2010)

Damn Bruno you are living it up my brother! Fancy tea, great meals and great cigars!


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## Domino68 (Jul 17, 2010)

Don't know how I missed this thread but I too am a HUGE fan of tea when smoking my cigars! As someone said before, I think tea pairs really well with most cigars and I actually favor tea over any other liquid. Even though I have and enjoy many varieties of teas, I still consider good ole Lipton ice tea as my favorite. 

BTW...nice collection Bruno.


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## Stubby (Dec 6, 2010)

Bruno those are some great pots. I need to get a few stone and clay pots. Right now I have a nice cast iron set. The clay pots are awesome to dedicate to one flavor tea as the pours in the clay absorb the oil from the tea making your brew taste much better.


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## donovanrichardson (Nov 10, 2010)

Wow, great looking pots guys!

I opened up my canister of white tea that I had sitting around from Beijing and although it was good, it was a lot more mild than I remembered. Not a flavor bomb by any means but still good. I look forward to ordering some Christmas Tea and a Chai tea from the Adagio tea site. Pretty inexpensive to try it but I'm a bit bummed my zip code is counted as rural so they charge me extra!


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## sirxlaughs (Nov 18, 2005)

Rock31 said:


> Damn Bruno you are living it up my brother! Fancy tea, great meals and great cigars!


They're occasional treats to remind me there's more to life than work and sleep. haha :frusty:



Domino68 said:


> Don't know how I missed this thread but I too am a HUGE fan of tea when smoking my cigars! As someone said before, I think tea pairs really well with most cigars and I actually favor tea over any other liquid. Even though I have and enjoy many varieties of teas, I still consider good ole Lipton ice tea as my favorite.
> 
> BTW...nice collection Bruno.


Thanks!



Stubby said:


> Bruno those are some great pots. I need to get a few stone and clay pots. Right now I have a nice cast iron set. The clay pots are awesome to dedicate to one flavor tea as the pours in the clay absorb the oil from the tea making your brew taste much better.


That's an awesome picture of your teapot.

Hopefully, we'll be able to start posting pics of our brews and such. I put up one in the drinks forum. I'm guessing this thread may possibly get moved there as well. Great to meet all the fellow tea fans!


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## Brinson (Oct 28, 2007)

I used to regularly drink Adagio's Thai Chai with cigars. It has a coconut taste to it. But I ran out of it and hadn't reordered when I moved and somehow lost the infuser that goes in my teapot...


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## Stranger929 (Jan 21, 2011)

This thread proves that great minds think alike!

I have always enjoyed tea with my cigars as well and am almost never without a glass of iced tea anytime of the day or night! My tea of choice has always been your standard black tea, like Lipton or, since moving to the South, Louisanna (however you spell it!) but I also enjoy green teas of all kinds. I'll have to try some of the others mentioned in this thread, I've heard of all of them but haven't tried a lot of them.

The combination of tea and cigars always seemed natural to me, the same with scotch and coffee, although I never sweeten my tea, I find the flavor of sweetened tea or coffee to be a terrible pairing with any cigar.

Beautiful tea pots by the way!


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## soccerboy08 (Jul 17, 2010)

One of my favorite pairs is Harney and Sons Valentine blend with a cube of sugar paired nicely with a Drew Estate Java. I usually combine this combination when the girlfreind wants to enjoy a smoke with me. The valentine blend taste like a bitter chocolate and a little sugar makes nice and sweet, almost creamy, then paired with the java it is a chocolatiers dream.


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## donovanrichardson (Nov 10, 2010)

I thought I would bump this thread because it is a good one!

I wanted to add this as well! So if any of you have a Wal Mart around, they sell this brand called Twinnings of London. You can get a variety pack of four different blends of tea for like $2.28 I believe. I had tried it before but I saw it in the coffee aisle today and couldn't resist having it again.

Is it cheap? Yes it is. BUT, for those of you who want to try some different blends and try a cigar with it, I think it's pretty flavorful and they English Breakfast tastes great with a touch of honey and the Irish Breakfast does nicely with a little splenda or Stevia. Just thought I would throw it out there! I'm personally enjoying a steaming hot cup of Lady Earl Grey as I type this!


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## shirfan (Mar 10, 2011)

Great thread, masala chai has been my go-to beverage with a cigar when I'm not having beer.

However, after picking up an ingenuiTEA and an Adagio sampler due to reading here, the toboggan is greased up for yet another steep and icy slope.


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## Stubby (Dec 6, 2010)

shirfan said:


> Great thread, masala chai has been my go-to beverage with a cigar when I'm not having beer.
> 
> However, after picking up an ingenuiTEA and an Adagio sampler due to reading here, the toboggan is greased up for yet another steep and icy slope.


I can lube it up even more for ya with a $5 coupon from Adagio. Just PM me your name and email address and I'll send one your way.


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## Arnie (Jan 5, 2009)

If you guys are going to drink Masala Chai take the time and get yourself some Red Label tea, Chai Masala and fresh ginger at an Indian grocery. 

Here's what you'll do:
Measure 2 cups of cold water into a saucepan, add 1 1/2 to 2 level tablespoons of Red Label tea, add a teaspoon or a little more of the Chai spice, grate a piece of the ginger about 1 and a half times the size of your thumb into the water. Heat this almost to the boiling point then add a cup of milk. Watch carefully, do not let it boil. When it is almost boiling remove from the heat and strain it through a fine sieve. Sweeten it up and enjoy. You will have to tweak this to your own tastes by adding or subtracting spice, ginger, milk, etc. I like mine really spicy so I add more ginger. Also, I make my own chai spice. Try making it yourself. I think you'll enjoy it much better than the commercial stuff.


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## Stubby (Dec 6, 2010)

Arnie said:


> If you guys are going to drink Masala Chai take the time and get yourself some Red Label tea, Chai Masala and fresh ginger at an Indian grocery.
> 
> Here's what you'll do:
> Measure 2 cups of cold water into a saucepan, add 1 1/2 to 2 level tablespoons of Red Label tea, add a teaspoon or a little more of the Chai spice, grate a piece of the ginger about 1 and a half times the size of your thumb into the water. Heat this almost to the boiling point then add a cup of milk. Watch carefully, do not let it boil. When it is almost boiling remove from the heat and strain it through a fine sieve. Sweeten it up and enjoy. You will have to tweak this to your own tastes by adding or subtracting spice, ginger, milk, etc. I like mine really spicy so I add more ginger. Also, I make my own chai spice. Try making it yourself. I think you'll enjoy it much better than the commercial stuff.


I actually have done a home made chai once. It was really good, but it just took me much longer to make than I have time for most of the time. Its more of an occasional treat.


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## Firedawg (Nov 8, 2010)

Scott just want to let you know that I now have over a lb of tea in mason jars since you started this damn thread. I really dont like you anymore. You have started another form of addiction and I am suffering.  on that note I will tell you I have a mayan chocolate that is awesome! I have been buying mason jars buy the dozens and the ladies at the local store think I am a canning fool. I have told them it is tea and pipe tobacco.


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## Stubby (Dec 6, 2010)

Firedawg said:


> Scott just want to let you know that I now have over a lb of tea in mason jars since you started this damn thread. I really dont like you anymore. You have started another form of addiction and I am suffering.  on that note I will tell you I have a mayan chocolate that is awesome! I have been buying mason jars buy the dozens and the ladies at the local store think I am a canning fool. I have told them it is tea and pipe tobacco.


Just doing my job sir. If there is a hobby that can get way out of hand, I'm all over it.

Guitars, woodworking, tea, cigars, computer building, photography, books, fishing, hunting... I think that about covers it.


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## xJaCkSlApx (May 7, 2010)

Acid Kuba kuba is always great with tea IMO


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## Zogg (Aug 31, 2010)

I've always enjoyed tea on occation.. My girlfriend has a massive loose tea collection. I'll have to try some out!


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